Statement from their website.

After six successful years The Bristol Festival Community Group is taking a break in 2014, from Festivities at Ashton Court, to focus on our other events and activities, such as Rave On Avon Stokes Croft Takeover, and to work on an exciting array of new projects (watch this space). 

Brisfest hopes to return to Ashton Court in 2015, bigger, better and greener than ever before. Organised by hundreds of local volunteers as a showcase of the hottest rising acts from the region, Brisfest faces a huge challenge each year as we try to deliver an incredibly diverse, fun, and top quality event on a shoestring budget that we raise ourselves. Previously everyone worked and performed for free in order to keep ticket prices as low as possible, but we want to try to find a way to raise the funds to pay local artists, whilst still remaining affordable. So the team of 204 local volunteers, venue owners, music industry professionals and musicians have decided to take a break from the major festival at Ashton Court, in order to focus their skills on the new projects being launched next year, and plan for 2015. 

Brisfest is one of several organisations hoping to launch a new Festivals Centre for Bristol next year. The new hub will hopefully become a home to many of the city’s events to encourage sharing of resources and collaboration. The organisation is also launching its new Event Staffing agency and Local Music Search Tool. 

“We listen to feedback each year about what people want” says Volunteer Manager Emily Gibbs, “and what’s come from that is that local musicians and volunteers want our help in more ways than the Festival alone. We’ve been working on these behind the scenes for the last few years so we’re looking forward to going live soon.”

The Bristol Festival Community Group is a registered charity, set up to support and promote music, art and culture in the region which it does through gaining media attention for artists at the festival, bringing bookers and music industry to see the cream of local talent, but also by providing training and real experience to volunteers who want to get into the events industry. “We help many people work each year, fund recognised qualifications and acts as a way in especially for those that have struggled on other career paths” says Emily “so its brilliant to be able to focus on this and help more people in the future by connecting employers with staff, and bookers with bands”. 

And local musicians need not worry as the team will still be staging their other festival “Rave on Avon Stokes Croft Takeover” in May for up to 5,000 people, and there is talk of launching “Brisfest on Tour”. So it’s by no means a year off! 

Adam Gasson“All the volunteers work flat out all year to plan the event, giving up their free time as they feel its such a valuable asset to the city’s creative scene. The support team in the office give up almost every evening and many weekends too, it really does take that much to plan with so many stages and over 2000 artists involved…. so to finally have the time to focus on some of our other projects is very welcome.

It will be sad to not have the major showcase in 2014, as many bands say they feel its vital to their careers, but with this longer lead-in time to fundraise we hope to be able to come back with a bang in 2015 as this festival means so much to local people, we want to do them proud” says Oliver Mochizuki. “We’re looking for sponsors and partners to help us moving forward so if anyone is interested or wants to talk about how they can get involved, or Adam Gasson help make it happen, please do get in touch” [email protected]